Since it's looking more and more like both Michael Morse and Rick Ankiel will open the season on the DL, the lineup Davey Johnson has put together for today's exhibition against the Cardinals might well be the same one we see Thursday in Chicago.

The outfield alignment: Mark DeRosa in left, Jayson Werth in center, Xavier Nady in right. Perhaps the only change would be Roger Bernadina in center, with Werth in right and Nady bumped to the bench, since the Cubs will be sending right-hander Ryan Dempster to the mound on Opening Day. But today's lineup still is pretty close to the one the Nationals should field come Thursday.

Gio Gonzalez, meanwhile, makes one final start in Jupiter today. Incredibly, it's his fourth start at Roger Dean Stadium, his third against the Cardinals. As was the case with Stephen Strasburg yesterday, Gonzalez won't go all-out and will be pulled after only 60-70 pitches.

I'm no longer down in Florida. Flew back to D.C. last night so I can spend a couple of days with the wife and baby before hitting the road again. So no updates forthcoming. Enjoy the game and the conversation…

Looks like Nady has made this team. Both he and DeRosa are remarkable stories. A month ago no one, absolutely no one, would have dreamed that either would be in the starting lineup opening day, but that could happen, with both men.Laddie_Blah_Blah

Davey has been vocal and explicit in wanting DeRosa on his bench since last fall, so that's no surprise, but then again, Laynce Nix was last year's "Where'd HE Come From?" winner, so here's hoping X-man works out at least as well. (As opposed to last year's "Is HE Still Here??" winner, Matt Stairs.)

How is it that we have few major league outfielders, that we are starting an almost embarrassing outfield to begin the season,and yet a guy from our organization (Komatsu)has made the team for the world champions (yes, I know Morse is injured and Harper is coming sometime later). Couldn't this have come out better to begin the season? Is this just another "developmental" season, or are we trying to actually win something?

And what JayB said in an earlier thread is correct. The pitching is here now; it may not be in 2013,so it seems a now-existing opportunity is being squandered. With the well-known mechanical questions surrounding Stras, Storen, and Gio (google pitching mechanics and these names), you simply cannot assume that all of them will be healthy in coming years, and I would wager that the will not all be so.

Desi and Espi are 1-2 because there are no other candidates. Lombardozzi is as green as a rookie gets. He needs to prove he can hit at the MLB level in the regular season before they'll consider benching one of the other two as starters.

As was the case with Stephen Strasburg yesterday, Gonzalez won't tgo all-out and will be pulled after only 60-70 pitches.I understand the 60-70 pitches concept, but are the starters really "not going all out"? What exactly does that mean? Do they really cut back on their velocity or how hard they try to command their pitches?Our lineup without Morse isn't going to scare anyone that's for sure. The very concept of Werth as a cleanup hitter is kind of scary. But it's not like there's much of a difference between Nady and Ankiel at the plate. And DeRosa could be the feel good surprise of the year. So that Pretty Frickin' Bueno is a great idea for a t-shirt, but $31.99?? Dear Skreened, I don't appreciate businesses who take advantage of Nats fans like that. Lower the price to $15 or even $20 and I might buy one.

We are now officially at the point where we divide into Kool-aid drinkers and Chicken Littles. Put me in the Kool-aid camp. It amazes me how high a standard some of you are holding this team to. You are criticizing them for starting Derosa and Nady in the OF when three players Morse, Ankiel, and Bernadina are hurt. Additionally they have been light in the OF knowing Harper will be in DC at some point. This is just one example of the insanity. It's certainly better than Nook Logan, Lastings Milledge, and Elijah Dukes.Are they a 100 win team? No. 85 wins though is very doable with a shot at contending. They won 80 last year and have a much better rotation, a better bullpen, a better bench, a full year of Ryan Zimmerman, and a full year of Adam LaRoche. I think that should be worth 5-10 wins.

Yeah, I'm not inclined to fork over that much either.So that Pretty Frickin' Bueno is a great idea for a t-shirt, but $31.99?? Dear Skreened, I don't appreciate businesses who take advantage of Nats fans like that. Lower the price to $15 or even $20 and I might buy one.

#4- Yeah put me in the Kool-Aid camp as well.I'm thinking 87-75 this season, and 90+ in 2013.I think the Marlins are overrated, the Braves probably similar to the Nats, the Mets are bad, and this will be Philly's last year of winning the division.

I've only heard a few Cards broadcasts (with Mr. Shannon at the mic), but I will note that having hoisted a few is not the only thing that might cause slurred speech (e.g., stroke, speech impediment, what have you).

Anon 11:34"How is it that we have few major league outfielders, that we are starting an almost embarrassing outfield to begin the season,and yet a guy from our organization (Komatsu) has made the team for the world champions (yes, I know Morse is injured and Harper is coming sometime later). Couldn't this have come out better to begin the season? Is this just another "developmental" season, or are we trying to actually win something?"Huh? We also have Ankiel, Morse, Bernadina (all current major leaguers) plus Harper, Brown, Goodwin, Taylor, Perez and Hood in the minors. I would not take a 25-year-old slap hitter like Komatsu for any of them, and certainly not for DeRosa or Nady, both proven "major leaguers," while Komatsu hit .234 for our minor league team last year. Nady is hitting .400 for us against ST "major league" pitching and is a former "major league" All-Star, and DeRosa is hitting well over .400 with a spectacular OBP to go along with it.If the Cards want to keep Komatsu they must name him to their 25-man roster, or send him back to us. He belongs in the minors until he proves that he has "major league" ability, and that is where we would send him if he comes back, which could very well happen before the end of the season. Just because he is on their roster does not mean that he has demonstrated "major league" ability. He hasn't, while Nady and DeRosa most definitively have, in spades. Davey would laugh at the idea that he would be better off with Komatsu than with either Nady or DeRosa, and with good reason. The WaPo's Kilgore reported this morning that the young Nats hitters, like Spinner and Desi, crowd around DeRosa's locker talking hitting with an experienced "major league" pro who has proven his mettle. If Komatsue were in our locker room, he would be one of the guys doing the listening, too.Your comment is ridiculous.Laddie_Blah_Blah

Oh ok thanks Natsfan.That's interesting. I didn't hear the broadcasters, but who knows they may have been drunk.I remember Phil Wood mentioning how broadcasters and beat writers used to get sloshed during games

Natsfan- I understand I don't do the GM thing either, but I love doing my own little projections just because I like stats.NatsLady- Yeah I'm watching the Miami-Yankees game as well.I like the look of those windows behind the outfield.Pretty nice looking stadium, aside from that silly thing in center field.

Gio walks the leadoff hitter but no problem, as the next guy lines into a DP. Then there's a single and, just to mix it up a bit, another K. Sounds like Gorz may come in for him next inning. PFB for Gio.

NatsLady said…"MLB.com wasn't behind, it had Stras as Opening Day starter as their headline. Apparently this Cards announcer doesn't read MLB.com."This is the same guy who called Brad Lidge Strasburg multiple times in the 9th inning of yesterday's game.

Well, hopefully our rotation will produce 5 guys with sub 3.00 ERA because the way this team hits we are going to have to shut teams out twice a week to have a chance to win games. Watching the O's on TV, and we only have 2 position players that would even start on THAT team and 1 of those is hurt.

Erik, not sure what O's team you're watching, maybe a replay from 83? I'll take my chances at Nats Park. You can spend the season at Camden and we'll check back at the end of the season and see who has more fun.

What a bunch of "homers"-SM13 and NJ. I never said the Orioles were a better team!!! But, please tell me who would start over Reynolds at 1B, Roberts, Hardy, Wieters, Jones, and Markakis. And no, Werth is not better than Markakis or Jones.

NatsFan1a says:Gio and H-Rod, both PFB today. :-)Espy too! I would buy the PFB shirt, too, but not at that price. Soon we will need a NatsInsider shirt that contains BeastMode, GYFNG, Hitterish, Gulp! Bang!, B25GN, and Gorse Hacking. Probably other things I've lost rack of.

Watching the Yankees Marlins game as I check in on the Nats…good win BTW. The monstrosity according to the Miami announcers is a "sculpture" and David Sampson says it will not "light up" until the regular season. Sorry if this was already mentioned.

I hear you MicheleS. Who are we playing this afternoon, again? Oh, um, never mind.MicheleS said… NJ.. Thanks for the info on Clipp.. Forgot about that game (short term memory sucks) April 01, 2012 3:30 PM

@Erik – "And no, Werth is not better than Markakis or Jones."WRONG – Werth's WAR each of the last three years has been higher than Markakis and Jones for each of those years. And yes, that includes 2011.

Natsfan- I think you're on to something, K-O Gonzalez I like that one.Bdrube- Werth also topped Markakis in defensive runs saved. Somehow Markakis won a gold glove in right field, but finished a distant 12th in the Fielding Bible Awards.I was actually shocked when I looked it up. But Markakis is apparently vastly overrated defensively.

I credit Johnson for the change that happened to H-Rod late last season. All of a sudden gone was the guy that came out hoping to throw strikes, and on came a guy that looked cool & confident. Many on this board wanted to throw Henry under the bus after two months,repeatedly throwing out the phrase "Rizzo fail." I'm not ready to say that he'll be Fireman of the Year yet, but I certainly wouldn't go back on the Willingham trade, if I could, either. I also would not be surprised to see Corey Brown making serious contributions before long. As to Danny Espinosa, I see a guy that goes on streaks and they go from horrid to torrid. He'll get hot. I'm not in the Desi hate camp either, but the sand is flowing out of his hourglass. I still stick to my earlier prediction: Davey Johnson will be the NL Manager of the Year. Spike the kool-aid and pass it on over to me, my friends!

BDRUBE-Looking at the player rater averages of 5 different baseball websites, Jones is 15 spots higher (OF alone) and Markakis is 10 spots higher. WAR is a meaningless statistic. If you want to go by WAR, then Robert Andino was better than Ryan Howard, Nelson Cruz, and Eric Hosmer. Bottom line is that Markakis hits .295 vs.264 (career averages) averages more RBI and Runs Scored, and is just now entering his prime. And Markakis is a Gold Glover. And he makes $7 million less per year. And he didn't hit .232 last year. And he doesnt' strike out 170 times per year. And he didn't get to hit behind Utley and Howard. And he doesn't stand in the OF with his hands on his knees for entire AB's. Watch him out there one day. Nice Ready Position!!! Good example for the little leaguers out there. Maybe if he was ready more often he wouldn't have to slide and miss balls by a few feet so often. Sorry for the rant. I love the Nats, but I just can't stand Werth, and it's not because of his batting average. Just think how much better they would be with another $126 million to spare.

NatsJack in Florida said… Espinosa is a much better hitter when batting right handed. It's a real struggle from the left side. April 01, 2012 2:33 PM____________________________Agreed. I am also in with those saying batting him 2nd RH and 7th LH. MPHRod handled that the leadoff hit well. Very impressive.Bernadina back from bereavement and delivers in a 0-2 count with a single.Gio Gonzalez seemed masterful today. A couple of pulled doubles past 3rd and nothing else.

Thanks for the HR "sculpture" scouting report, DWS, as nobody had mentioned that it was not yet in regular season form. :-)DWS said… Watching the Yankees Marlins game as I check in on the Nats…good win BTW. The monstrosity according to the Miami announcers is a "sculpture" and David Sampson says it will not "light up" until the regular season. Sorry if this was already mentioned. April 01, 2012 3:30 PM

Julio Teheran's Spring went down the tubes finishing with a 9.37 ERA. I think his only highlight of the Spring was striking out Bryce Harper.Tommy Hanson becomes the Braves fill-in #1 with Tim Hudson on the shelf.

One of the disappointments in today's game was Lombardozzi in the 9th. Espinosa started the inning with a single and Lombo had to lay down the bunt and couldn't and struck out.This may have meant nothing with Lombo or you have to wonder how he does in the more stressful "clutch" moments. It is something to keep and eye on to see how Lombo does in the clutch.

Looks like last week's suicide watch has been cancelled. Too much ST time on everyone's hands. Pitching is deep. Super deep. IMO it can withstand a number of arrows of outrageous fortune. CWJ–With the possibility of fielder I thought 90 wins but am glad we it worked out as it did given the details. I told a friend a month ago 86 wins. During "The Suicide Watch of the Dead Arms" week, I mentioned 84 here. I'll stick with that. I'd be disappointed under 84. If De Rosa or Corey Brown–or especially Harper–is a Story–it could go as high as 90, but I'm not counting on that. Especially with unforeseen injuries to position players. Put me down for 84, and I'll happily buy you a beer when they get to 87. After that it's a shot per win I guess!In the spirit of kicks and fun, I predicted the first five games here a week or so ago. I got us at 3-0 coming out of the gate and at 3-2 after the first five. For me, Harper is as good a touchstone as any to account for every win over .500. If he rakes, we approach 90. If he hits .267 like many rookie greats in the making, we're a few over.Next year: keep the starting rotation together but hopefully Det has forced his way to #5. And get that left handed big bat at 1B. When Rendon forces his way into the starting lineup, then we are truly a force to be reckoned with. Hopefully this year…we steal a WS. Why not? Who knows which team Lady Luck will favor. And Davey's got them loosey goosey and, I'm hoping, ready to open them up to some luck.

Looks like last week's suicide watch has been cancelled. Too much ST time on everyone's hands. Pitching is deep. Super deep. IMO it can withstand a number of arrows of outrageous fortune. CWJ–With the possibility of fielder I thought 90 wins but am glad we it worked out as it did given the details. I told a friend a month ago 86 wins. During "The Suicide Watch of the Dead Arms" week, I mentioned 84 here. I'll stick with that. I'd be disappointed under 84. If De Rosa or Corey Brown–or especially Harper–is a Story–it could go as high as 90, but I'm not counting on that. Especially with unforeseen injuries to position players. Put me down for 84, and I'll happily buy you a beer when they get to 87. After that it's a shot per win I guess!In the spirit of kicks and fun, I predicted the first five games here a week or so ago. I got us at 3-0 coming out of the gate and at 3-2 after the first five. For me, Harper is as good a touchstone as any to account for every win over .500. If he rakes, we approach 90. If he hits .267 like many rookie greats in the making, we're a few over.Next year: keep the starting rotation together but hopefully Det has forced his way to #5. And get that left handed big bat at 1B. When Rendon forces his way into the starting lineup, then we are truly a force to be reckoned with. Hopefully this year…we steal a WS. Why not? Who knows which team Lady Luck will favor. And Davey's got them loosey goosey and, I'm hoping, ready to open them up to some luck.

Espinosa is a much better hitter when batting right handed. It's a real struggle from the left side. He gets 1000 at bats in the majors then they ask him to not to switch hit if it doesn't seem like he is getting it.

If Corey Brown could have an epiphany like MPH, then we will have won the Willingham trade in a walk-off.He'll be better this year … there will be some good chemistry in that lineup. Where that will lead? Who knows?

Erik might not be a troll but he is dreaming if he thinks more then two of the current O's would help us. Roberts has not played an inning in ST. You can't be serious about Reynolds at any position with his strike outs and errors. I do like Wieters but I am fine with our two young catchers so that is a wash. Jones is superior to anyone we have on our roster in CF so that is your one win. Werth did not have a good year statistically, but we went from 69 wins to 80 and he was one reason for that even with his poor stats. It's a tough call but I think I would take Werth over Markakis. The bottom line is the O's are headed toward 15 straight years of losing while we have a legitimate chance at 85 wins or more. It was never mentioned but is there even ONE pitcher you would take from the O's top 12 to replace any of our top 15? I don't think so.